House

ABSTRACT

A space configuration of a house is provided, in which the continuity from the inside of a room to a semi-outdoor space is created in various directions to give a feeling of openness in a large area inside of the room. Windows capable of daylighting and ventilation are provided respectively in two wall surfaces of a room so as to each have an opening width accounting for ½ or more of a corresponding wall length of the wall surfaces. One window has an opening that accounts for a whole ceiling height of the room, and a doorway is provided in the opening. On the outside of the one window, a semi-outdoor space including an exterior floor and an eaves ceiling is largely extended.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a house having a semi-outdoor space including an exterior floor and an eaves ceiling outside of a room.

BACKGROUND ART

There are rooms such as a living room, a drawing room and a Japanese-style room that are particularly required to give a feeling of relaxation. Thus, a semi-outdoor space (e.g. a terrace and a loggia) is often provided outside of such a room with a window therebetween to connect both spaces. A person can go in and out of the room through the window, and can easily feel a sense of brightness and openness as well as changes in nature. In such a case, a sash window having a large opening including panes is often provided in a state of making no step between the floor surface so as to improve the continuity between the inside and the outside.

The Applicant of the present invention focused on the fact that the degree of comfortableness given by the continuity between the above-described room and the semi-outdoor space varies depending on where the resident is in the room, specifically, whether he/she is near the window or in the back of the room away from the window. Thus, the Applicant proposes, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a space configuration in which the area where the resident feels comfortable can be effectively extended to the back of the room away from the window.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents

[Patent Document 1] JP 2012-001891 A

[Patent Document 2] JP 2012-001892 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problem to Be Solved by the Invention

However, in the conventional space configuration, the opening of the window connecting the space in the room and the semi-outdoor space is provided in principle in only one wall surface of the room. In this case, the resident in the room can feel that the space continues to the semi-outdoor space only in one direction in which the opening of the window is provided.

Recently, especially in a luxury detached house constructed on a relatively large site area, an open space has been demanded, where a person can feel a sense of peace as if he/she were in nature and can spend an elegant time that passes by slowly. In consideration of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a space configuration of a house in which a continuity from the space in the room to the semi-outdoor space is provided not only in a single direction but also in multiple directions in various manners so as to give a sense of comfortableness and openness in a large area in the room.

Means for Solving the Problem

In order to achieve the above object, a first configuration applied to a house of the present invention is as follows. A house includes: a semi-outdoor space having an exterior floor and an eaves ceiling outside of a room; and windows via which an internal space of the room and the semi-outdoor space communicate with each other. A first window and a second window capable of daylighting and ventilation are provided respectively in two wall surfaces facing each other of the room so as to straightly face each other and to each have an opening width accounting for ½ or more of a wall length of the corresponding one of the two wall surfaces. The first window provided in one wall surface of the two wall surfaces has an opening that accounts for a whole ceiling height of the room, and at least one doorway capable of being opened and closed is provided in the opening. The second window provided in the other wall surface of the two wall surfaces is at least any one of the following: a floor-level window whose lower edge is at the same level as a floor surface of the room; a high window whose upper edge is at the same level as a ceiling surface of the room; a window whose opening accounts for the whole ceiling height of the room; and a window having a combined feature of the above kinds of windows. On an outside of the first window provided in the one wall surface, the exterior floor continuously provided at the same level as the floor surface of the room and the eaves ceiling continuously provided at the same level as the ceiling surface of the room are extended so as to spread across at least a whole opening width of the first window. An extension size of the exterior floor in a direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening of the first window is 0.8 times or more the ceiling height of the room. An extension size of the eaves ceiling in the direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening of the first window is 0.6 times or more the ceiling height of the room.

In this configuration, it is preferable that the one wall surface has the largest wall length in the room and the first window provided in the one wall surface has the opening width not less than a facing distance between the one wall surface and the other wall surface.

Also in order to achieve the above object, a second configuration applied to a house of the present invention is as follows. A house includes: a semi-outdoor space having an exterior floor and an eaves ceiling outside of a room; and windows via which an internal space of the room and the semi-outdoor space communicate with each other. A first window and a second window capable of daylighting and ventilation are provided respectively in two wall surfaces forming an external corner of the room so as to be continuously arranged having an L-shape in planar view and to each have an opening width accounting for ½ or more of a wall length of the corresponding one of the two wall surfaces. The first window provided in one wall surface of the two wall surfaces has an opening that accounts for a whole ceiling height of the room, and at least one doorway capable of being opened and closed is provided in the opening. The second window provided in the other wall surface of the two wall surfaces is at least any one of the following: a floor-level window whose lower edge is at the same level as a floor surface of the room; a high window whose upper edge is at the same level as a ceiling surface of the room; a window whose opening accounts for the whole ceiling height of the room; and a window having a combined feature of the above kinds of windows. On an outside of the first window provided in the one wall surface, the exterior floor continuously provided at the same level as the floor surface of the room and the eaves ceiling continuously provided at the same level as the ceiling surface of the room are extended so as to spread across at least a whole opening width of the first window. An extension size of the exterior floor in a direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening of the first window is 0.8 times or more the ceiling height of the room. An extension size of the eaves ceiling in the direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening of the first window is 0.6 times or more the ceiling height of the room.

In this configuration, it is preferable that the one wall surface has the largest wall length in the room and the first window provided in the one wall surface has the opening width not less than the wall length of the other wall surface intersecting with the one wall surface.

In the house having the first configuration or the second configuration, the exterior floor may be provided on a second floor. A waist-height wall having a ventilation capacity may be erected in a vicinity of an outer peripheral edge of the exterior floor provided on the second floor, and furthermore the waist-height wall may be constituted of a sight-proof louver extending in a lateral direction.

In the house having the first configuration or the second configuration, the room and another room may be arranged in a vertically stacking manner as two stories. The first window may be provided in each of the room and the other room that are vertically arranged so as to have the opening that accounts for the whole ceiling height of the corresponding room, and the opening surface of each first window may be arranged so as to have the same orientation.

In addition, when the room and the other room are arranged in a vertically stacking manner as two stories, a box-shaped structure having a rectangle shape in planar view may be provided at a middle part of a wall surface of each of the rooms vertically arranged, in the wall surface where neither the first window nor the second window is provided. The box-shaped structure may cover an inside and an outside of each of the rooms vertically arranged and may penetrate the rooms in a vertical direction.

Furthermore, it is preferable that load-bearing walls are provided on an outer periphery of the box-shaped structure in two directions orthogonally intersecting with each other (i.e. the directions in parallel with and orthogonally intersecting with the window whose opening accounts for a whole ceiling height).

Effects of the Invention

The house of the present invention configured as described above includes a room that is a space in which one can feel continuity from the inside to the outside in the two directions facing each other, or in the two directions orthogonally intersecting with each other. A nuanced natural light is let in the room through the two windows, and when a part of the windows is opened, pleasant breeze passes across the room. The semi-outdoor space is provided so as to extend outside of the room such that the floor surface and the ceiling surface thereof are respectively at the same levels as those of the room, and that the extension size is sufficient according to the ceiling height of the room. Thus, the semi-outdoor space gives a sense of spatial openness to the room while keeping appropriately a privacy. In the space inside of the room integrated with the semi-outdoor space, the boundary between the outside and the inside is blurred, which leads to a sense of openness with continuity, transparency and translucency being emphasized in the horizontal direction.

Furthermore, when the rooms are vertically stacked as two stories and the first windows thereof and the semi-outdoor spaces respectively extended therefrom are arranged in the same orientation, the continuity and the transparency between the inside and the outside in the horizontal direction are shared by the upper and lower floors, which creates integrated openness in the house.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view explaining an overall configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 are conceptual plan views explaining the overall configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a layout and a first floor plan view of a house according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a second floor plan view of the house.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a front appearance of the house.

FIG. 6 is an interior perspective view illustrating a living room provided on a first floor of the house.

FIG. 7 is an interior perspective view illustrating a master bed room provided on a second floor of the house.

FIG. 8 is a layout and a first floor plan view of a house according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a second floor plan view of the house.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a front appearance of the house.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Basic Concept of the Invention

FIGS. 1 and 2 are conceptual cross-sectional views explaining an overall configuration of the present invention. The house of the present invention is defined as a house including at least a room R having the configuration as specified below. In the conceptual view of FIG. 1 , the rooms R having the following configuration are provided in a stacking manner as the first story and the second story.

(1) Windows W1 and W2 capable of daylighting and ventilation are provided respectively in two wall surfaces surrounding the room R. Here, the term “capable of ventilation” means that at least a part of the windows W1 and W2 can be opened and closed.

(2) The two windows W1 and W2 straightly face each other as shown in FIG. 2(a) or are continuously arranged along an external corner so as to have an L shape in planar view as shown in FIG. 2(b).

(3) In both of the arrangements of straightly facing and having the L shape, the two windows W1 and W2 each have an opening width accounting for ½ or more of the wall length of the wall surface in which the windows W1 and W2 are respectively provided. In the case of the straightly facing arrangement, each width of the windows W1 and W2 straightly facing accounts for ½ or more of the corresponding wall length of the wall surfaces.

(4) At least one of the two windows W1 and W2 (preferably the window that is provided in the wall surface having a larger wall length; hereinafter referred to as a “first window W1”) has an opening extending from a floor surface F of the room R to a ceiling surface C. In an opening surface thereof, at least one doorway D capable of being opened and closed is provided.

(5) The opening width in total of the first window W1 is not less than a facing distance 1 a to the other window (hereinafter referred to as a “second window W2”) when the first window W1 straightly faces the second window W2, while it is not less than a wall length 1 b of the wall surface in which the second window W2 is provided when the first window W1 and the second window W2 are continuously arranged to have the L shape.

(6) On the outside of the first window W1, a semi-outdoor space S is extended so as to spread across at least the whole opening width of the first window W1. The semi-outdoor space S is constituted of: an exterior floor T continued from the floor surface F of the room R so as to be at the same level; and an eaves ceiling E continued from the ceiling surface C of the room R so as to be at the same level.

(7) An extension size lT of the exterior floor T, which is in the direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening surface of the first window W1, is 0.8 times or more a ceiling height ch of the room R. An extension size lE of the eaves ceiling E in the same direction is 0.6 times or more the ceiling height ch of the room R.

(8) The second window W2 is at least any one of the following: a floor-level window whose lower edge is at the same level as the floor surface F of the room R; a high window whose upper edge is at the same level as the ceiling surface C of the room R; a window whose opening area accounts for approximately the whole ceiling height ch of the room R; and a window having a combined feature of the above described windows.

With the above-described configuration, the room R is a space in which one can feel continuity to the outside in the two directions facing each other or orthogonally intersecting with each other. A nuanced natural light is let in the room R through the two windows W1 and W2, and when a part of the windows W1 and W2 is opened, pleasant breeze passes across the room R. The semi-outdoor space S such as a terrace and a balcony is provided so as to extend outside of the first window W1 such that the floor surface and the ceiling surface thereof are respectively at the same levels as the floor surface F and the ceiling surface C of the room, and that the extension size is sufficient according to the ceiling height ch of the room. Thus, the semi-outdoor space S gives a sense of spatial openness to the room R while keeping appropriately a privacy. In the space inside of the room R integrated with the semi-outdoor space S, the boundary between the outside and the inside is blurred, which leads to a sense of openness with transparency and translucency being emphasized in the horizontal direction.

Furthermore, when the rooms R and R are vertically stacked as two stories, and also when the first windows W1 and W1 thereof as well as the semi-outdoor spaces S and S respectively extended to the outside therefrom are arranged in the same orientation, the continuity to the outside and the transparency are shared by the upper and lower floors, which creates integrated openness in the house.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment

FIGS. 3 to 7 show a house according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A house 1A exemplarily shown is a two-story wooden building whose main frame is constructed by a wooden framework method. The house 1A is assumed to be constructed on a site having the site area of about 500 to 800 square meters located in suburban areas. In the layout and the first floor plan view of FIG. 3 , the lower side of the site faces a frontal road, and the remaining three sides of the site abut the neighboring site. For the sake of description, the upper direction in FIG. 3 is defined as north, and the positional relationships among the respective parts in the house 1A are indicated by the cardinal directions (north, east, south and west).

First Floor

The first floor includes, from an entrance provided on the side of the frontal road toward the north,: an entrance hall 21; a gallery hall 22 whose upper part is a void and stairs 23; a short hallway 24; a work corner 25 integrated with the hallway 24; a toilet 26; a dining room 27 having a window with an opening facing north; and a kitchen 28 having a window with an opening facing east. On the east side of the entrance hall 21, an entrance closet 29 is annexed, and on the further east side thereof, a Japanese-style room 31 with a “Tokonoma (Japanese style alcove)” is disposed. The Japanese-style room 31 is connected to the entrance hall 21 via an earthen floor 32 having a style of a hard-packed concrete floor, and also connected to the gallery hall 22 via an anteroom 33. The Japanese-style room 31 has a window 34 with a wide opening in the east surface. Furthermore, a board floor adjacent to the earthen floor has a window 35 with an opening facing to south. Also, the back surface of the “Tokonoma” has a window 36 with an opening facing to north.

On the west side of the entrance hall 21 and the gallery hall 22, a living room 37 having the configuration of the present invention is provided. The living room 37 has a substantially rectangle shape in planar view, and the side in the east-west direction is longer than the side in the north-south direction. The living room 37 is connected to the entrance hall 21 and the hallway via two doorways provided respectively on the south side and the north side of a partition wall that separates the living room 37 and the gallery hall 22.

On the west side of the living room 37, a box-shaped structure 38 having a substantially rectangle shape in planar view is provided so as to extend across the inside and the outside in a state in which a substantially half part thereof is embedded, from the west surface, into the living room 37. A large portion of the outer periphery of the box-shaped structure 38 is wall surfaces that have no opening, and load-bearing walls (not shown) are incorporated in part of the wall surfaces in the east-west direction and the north-south direction so as to extend the box-shaped structure 38 in the vertical direction to the height of the second story. In the interior space of the box-shaped structure 38, a stair hall 39 is provided on the east side so as to connect the first floor and the second floor, and a study corner 41 that also serves as a library is provided on the west side.

The south surface and the north surface of the living room 37 are respectively provided with windows 42 and 43 each having a large opening to cover the substantially whole of the corresponding wall length. The windows 42 and 43 are each divided into four opening surfaces by five pillars erected on each wall surface, two of which are erected on both corner parts thereof. Out of the four opening surfaces, the two on the inner side are provided with fixed sash windows, and the two on the respective outer end sides are provided with sliding sash windows through which one can go in and out of the living room. Also, both side parts of the west surface of the living room 37, except for the middle part in which the box-shaped structure 38 is embedded, have each a fixed sash window with an opening area from the floor surface to the ceiling height. As the frame member for these windows, a so-called “full flat sash” is used, which makes substantially no differences in the respective levels of the floor surface and the ceiling surface from those of the living room.

Outside of the windows, terraces 44 and 45 are provided as a semi-outdoor space. The terraces 44 and 45 are constituted of: an exterior floor 46 provided to extend southward and northward from the living room 37 and the box-shaped structure 38 so as to surround the whole outer periphery of the living room 37 and the box-shaped structure 38; and an eaves ceiling 47 extending above the exterior floor (see FIG. 6 ). The exterior floor 46 is provided at the same level as the floor surface of the living room 37 while the eaves ceiling 47 is provided at the same level as the ceiling surface of the living room 37. In the exterior floor 46 on the north and south sides, the extension size in the direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening surface of the window is 0.8 times or more the ceiling height of the living room 37. In this embodiment exemplarily shown, the ceiling height of the living room 37 is about 2.6 meters, and the extension size of the exterior floor 46 is about 2.5 meters. In the eaves ceiling 47, the extension size in the direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening surface of the window is about 0.6 times or more the ceiling height of the living room 37, and in this embodiment exemplarily shown, it is about 2.7 meters. Furthermore, the outside of the semi-outdoor space is surrounded by dense shrubberies 48.

FIG. 6 is an interior perspective view illustrating the living room 37 viewed in the west direction from the side of the partition wall. As can be seen from FIG. 6 , the living room 37 is a space that gives a sense of openness as if the interior space continues to the exterior space in two (north and south) directions (in FIG. 6 , the left and right direction). The terrace 44, which is provided to extend southward and northward with the extension size close to the ceiling height of the living room, has the floor surface and the ceiling surface whose levels respectively equal the floor surface and the ceiling surface of the living room. This configuration of the terrace 44 gives a sense of spatial openness in the short side direction of the living room 37, which may be more excellent than the sense of openness in the long side direction.

The windows respectively having the wide openings and facing each other introduce the nuanced natural light into the living room from both of the north and the south sides. When a part of the windows is opened, pleasant breeze passes across the living room. In the embodiment exemplarily shown, a floor finishing material applied on the living room 37 near the windows has a texture that is the same as or similar to a texture of a floor finishing material applied on the exterior floor 46. Also, a ceiling finishing material applied on the living room 37 has a texture that is the same as or similar to a texture of a finishing material applied on the eaves ceiling 47. In this way, the boundary between the outside and the inside is blurred, which gives the inside of the living room a sense of continuity with transparency and translucency especially emphasized in the horizontal direction.

The box-shaped structure 38 provided so as to be embedded into the living room 37 from the west surface thereof has also a wall surface without the opening, which serves as a structural accent to add a stately atmosphere to the center of the spacious room whose outer periphery is almost surrounded by glass. Furthermore, since this wall surface blocks the line of sight in the west direction, the continuity in the north-south direction is further emphasized. Also, a calm space is created in the vicinity of the center of the living room along this wall surface. In this embodiment exemplarily shown, an outer wall finishing material applied in a tense state to the main part of the outer wall of the house 1A is also applied to the outer peripheral surface of the box-shaped structure 38, to both surfaces inside and outside the living room. This further blurs the boundary between the outside and the inside, which contributes to a sense of unity.

Second Floor

On the second floor led from the stairs 23, a children's room 53 is provided on the east side, a utility room 54 (so-called “SPA room”) is provided on the north side, and a master bed room 55 is provided on the west side. These rooms are connected to a gallery hall 51 provided surrounding the void and a hallway 52, as shown in FIG. 4 . A walk-in closet 56 is annexed to the children's room, and the window opening faces south. The SPA room includes a bath 57, a toilet 58, and a vanity and washing machine 59. The window opening faces north and east.

The master bed room 55 is provided so as to superimpose on the living room 37 of the first floor. The south surface and the north surface of the master bed room 55 are disposed right above the south surface and the north surface of the living room 37 of the first floor. The respective surfaces are provided with windows 61 and 62 each having an opening to cover the substantially whole of the corresponding wall length. A substantially half part of the box-shaped structure 38 erected from the first floor is embedded into the west side of the master bed room 55, and the stair hall 39 provided inside thereof and the master bed room 55 are partitioned by an independent wall 63 provided along an east wall surface of the box-shaped structure 38. A walk-in closet 64 is provided inside of the box-shaped structure 38, on the west side thereof.

The window 61 in the south surface of the master bed room 55 has a large opening from the floor surface to the height of the ceiling surface, and divided into three opening surfaces by three pillars including the one at the corner part. Out of the three opening surfaces, the two on the center and east sides are provided with fixed sash windows, and the one on the west side is provided with a sliding sash window through which one can go in and out of the room.

Unlike the south surface, the window 62 in the north surface of the master bed room 55 is a high window having an opening of dozens of centimeters from the upper part of the wall to the ceiling surface. This high window is also divided into three opening surfaces by three pillars including the one at the corner part. The two opening surfaces on the center and the east side are provided with fixed sash windows, and the one on the west side is provided with a sliding sash window that can be opened and closed. The high windows similar to that in the north surface are respectively provided in both parts of the west surface of the master bed room 55, which are divided by the box-shaped structure 38.

A balcony 66 is provided, as a semi-outdoor space, on the south side of the master bed room 55. The balcony 66 is constituted of: an exterior floor 67 largely extending southward from the whole south side of the master bed room 55 as well as from a part of the south side of the box-shaped structure 38; and an eaves ceiling 68 extending above the exterior floor 67. The exterior floor 67 is provided at the same level as the floor surface of the master bed room 55 while the eaves ceiling 68 is provided at the same level as the ceiling surface of the master bed room 55. The extension size of the exterior floor 67 in the south direction is 0.8 times or more the ceiling height of the master bed room 55. In this embodiment exemplarily shown, the ceiling height of the master bed room 55 at a lower part not having the slope is about 2.5 meters, and the extension size of the exterior floor 67 is about 2.0 meters. The extension size of the eaves ceiling 68 in the south direction is about 0.6 times or more the ceiling height of the master bed room 55, and in this embodiment exemplarily shown, it is about 2.0 meters.

A waist-height wall (handrail wall) 69 is provided in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the balcony 66. The waist-height wall 69 is constituted of a sight-proof louver made of a plurality of boards having a laterally-elongated cross section arranged at appropriate intervals in the horizontal direction. The waist-height wall 69 provided as described above blocks the line of sight from the outside, seen from diagonally below. Thus, it is possible to keep appropriately a privacy while introducing the light and the breeze in the horizontal direction into the master bed room 55.

FIG. 7 is an interior perspective view illustrating the master bed room 55 viewed in the west direction from the vicinity of the doorway that leads to the hallway. In order to easily keep the privacy compared to the living room 37 of the first floor, the master bed room 55 is provided with the window 61 accounting for the whole ceiling height only in the south surface thereof. However, the master bed room 55 is provided with, in the north surface thereof, a window (high window) 62 whose upper edge is at the same level as the level of the ceiling surface so as to cover the substantially whole length of the wall. Through the window 62, it is possible to introduce soft sky light into the room or to look up the night sky in the bed. Furthermore, when a part of the windows is opened, breeze passes across the room along the ceiling surface. In this way, the continuity from the inside of the room to the outside is created in the two opposite directions. Thus, it is possible to further give a sense of comfortableness and a feeling of openness compared to the case in which no window is provided or only a small window is opened in the north surface.

The partition wall 63 erected between the room and the box-shaped structure 38 on the east side serves as a structural accent to add a stately atmosphere to the center of the master bed room 55 in the same way as the wall surface erected on the living room 37 of the first floor. This partition wall 63 creates a calm atmosphere, which is suitable for putting beds close thereto. Also, the partition wall 63 emphasizes the continuity in the north-south direction. Furthermore, the load-bearing walls incorporated in the box-shaped structure 38 function to structurally enhance the building frame of the first and second stories surrounded by large openings made by the windows.

Second Embodiment

FIGS. 8 to 10 are diagrams illustrating a house 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The house 1B exemplarily shown is also a two-story wooden building whose main frame is constructed by a wooden framework method. However, the site area and the total floor area of the building is set to be slightly smaller than the house 1A of the first embodiment. In the layout and the first floor plan view of FIG. 8 , the lower side of the site faces a frontal road, and the remaining three sides of the site abut the neighboring site. In this embodiment also, the upper direction in FIG. 8 is defined as north, and the positional relationships among the respective parts in the house 1B are indicated by the cardinal directions (north, east, south and west).

First Floor

The first floor is divided into an east side part and a west side part with a passage garden 72 therebetween. The passage garden 72 can be passed through in the north-south direction from the side of the garage 71. The east side part includes: an entrance hall 73 provided along the passage garden 72 so as to have an elongated shape in the north-south direction; a living room 74 that communicates with the center part and the south end part of the entrance hall 73; an entrance closet 75 annexed to the north end of the entrance hall 73; a hallway storage space 77, a dining kitchen 78, and a washroom 79 all of which communicate with the north end part of the entrance hall 73 via a short hallway 76; and a stair hall 81 disposed between the dining kitchen 78 and the living room 74.

The west side part is provided with a Japanese-style room 82 such that one can directly go in and out of the Japanese-style room 82 through the passage garden 72. On the west side of the Japanese-style room 82, stairs 83 are provided to lead to the second floor, and on the north side of the Japanese-style room 82, a wooden deck 84 is disposed.

In the first floor, the configuration of the present invention is applied to the living room 74 provided on the southeast side. The living room 74 has a substantially rectangle shape in planar view, in which the side in the east-west direction is longer than the side in the north-south direction. On the corner part on the southwest side, an earthen floor 85 in the living is provided continuously from the earthen floor of the entrance hall 73 in such a manner that both earthen floors have the same level. The earthen floor 85 in the living is guided to the same level as the upper floor surface of the living room 74 via a few steps provided at the middle of the earthen floor 85. Thus, the earthen floor 85 in the living is a space incorporated in the living room 74.

In the south surface of the living room 74, a window 86 is provided, which has a large opening from the floor surface to the height of the ceiling surface. The window in the south surface covers about 90% of the wall length, and divided into four opening surfaces by pillars. In these opening surfaces, sliding sash windows are fixed, through which one can go in and out of the room.

On the south side of the window 86, a terrace 87 is provided as a semi-outdoor space. The terrace 87 is constituted of: an exterior floor 88 provided to extend southward from the living room 74 so as to cover the whole width of the south surface of the living room 74; and an eaves ceiling 89 extending above the exterior floor 88. However, a part of the terrace 87 on the west side is a half-closed alcove 91, whose two surfaces (the west surface and the south surface) are surrounded by an L-shaped wall having no window opening.

The exterior floor 88 of the terrace 87 is provided at the same level as the floor surface of the living room 74. The extension size of the exterior floor 88 is 0.8 times or more the ceiling height of the living room 74. In this embodiment exemplarily shown, the ceiling height of the living room 74 is about 2.6 meters, and the extension size of the exterior floor 88 except for the alcove is about 3.2 meters.

The eaves ceiling 89 of the terrace 87 is provided at the same level as the ceiling surface of the living room 74. The extension size of the eaves ceiling 89 is about 0.6 times or more the ceiling height of the living room 74, and in this embodiment exemplarily shown, it is about 2.0 meters. Furthermore, the outside of the semi-outdoor space is surrounded by dense shrubberies 92.

In the north surface of the living room 74, a window 93 is provided so as to cover substantially half the length of the wall. The window 93 in the north surface is divided into two opening surfaces by pillars. In these opening surfaces, sliding sash windows are fixed, through which one can go in and out of the room.

On the outside of the window 93 in the north surface, a courtyard 94 is provided. The courtyard 94 is surrounded by an east wall surface of the stair hall 81 and a south wall surface of the dining kitchen 78, and is opened eastward. Although short eaves are provided above the courtyard 94, it is an outdoor space. Thus, the courtyard 94 gets wet when it rains. The floor surface of the courtyard 94 is provided at the same level as the floor surface of the living room 74.

The living room 74 configured as described above is a space that gives a sense of openness as if the interior space continues to the exterior space in two (north and south) directions. The terrace 87 largely extending southward as well as the courtyard 94 extending northward each have the floor surface and the ceiling surface whose levels respectively equal the floor surface and the ceiling surface of the living room. This configuration gives a sense of spatial openness in the short side direction of the living room 74, which may be more excellent than the sense of openness in the long side direction. The windows 86 and 93 respectively having the wide openings and facing each other introduce the natural light from both of the north and the south sides. When a part of the windows is opened, pleasant breeze passes across the living room. In this way, the boundary between the outside and the inside is blurred, which gives the inside of the living room a sense of continuity with transparency and translucency especially emphasized in the horizontal direction.

Second Floor

As shown in FIG. 9 , the second floor of the house 1B includes, around two center parts (i.e. a stair hall 101 and a hallway lounge 102 connected thereto on the west side): two bed rooms 103 and 104 provided on the south side; a master bed room 105 provided on the west side; and a utility room 106, a bath 107, a toilet 108 and a children's room 109 all of which are provided on the north side. Walk-in closets 111, 112 and 113 are respectively annexed to the two bed rooms 103 and 104 on the south side, the master bed room 105 on the west side and the children's room 109 on the north side.

The bed room 103 on the southeast side has windows 114 and 115 respectively having wide openings in the south surface and the east surface, and also has a balcony 116 that continues to the outside. The bed room on the southwest side has windows 117 and 118 respectively having openings in the south surface and the west surface to cover substantially half the length of the respective walls, and also has a balcony 119 that continues to the outside. Furthermore, the utility room provided on the northeast side has a window 121 facing the east and a balcony 122 that continues to the outside.

Among the rooms on the second floor, the configuration of the present invention is applied to the bed room 103 provided on the southeast side. The bed room 103 has a substantially rectangle shape in planar view, in which the wall length in north-south direction is slightly longer than the wall length in east-west direction. The windows 114 and 115 each having a large opening from the floor surface to the ceiling surface are continuously arranged so as to cover substantially all the wall lengths of the respective surfaces and thus to have an L shape in planar view. The windows 114 and 115 in the respective surfaces are divided into four opening surfaces in total, by pillars. In these opening surfaces, sliding sash windows are fixed, through which one can go in and out of the room.

The balcony 116, which is a semi-outdoor space that continues from the inside through the windows 114 and 115, is constituted of: an exterior floor 123 provided to extend respectively southward and eastward from the south surface and the east surface of the bed room 103 so as to have an L-shape in planar view; and an eaves ceiling 124 extending above the exterior floor 123. The exterior floor 123 is provided at the same level as the floor surface of the bed room 103. The eaves ceiling 124 is provided at the same level as the ceiling surface of the bed room 103. The extension size of the exterior floor 123 each on the south side and the east side is 0.8 times or more the ceiling height of the bed room 103. In this embodiment exemplarily shown, the ceiling height of the bed room 103 is about 2.4 meters, and the extension size of the exterior floor 123 is about 2.0 meters. Also, the extension size of the eaves ceiling 124 each on the south side and the east side is about 0.6 times or more the ceiling height of the bed room 103, and in this embodiment exemplarily shown, it is about 1.5 meters.

The bed room 103 configured as described above is a space that gives a sense of openness as if the interior space continues to the exterior space in two (south and east) directions. The balcony 116 largely extending eastward and southward has the floor surface and the ceiling surface whose levels respectively equal the floor surface and the ceiling surface of the bed room 103. This configuration gives a sense of spatial openness in the diagonal direction of the bed room 103. The windows 114 and 115 respectively having the wide openings are arranged so as to continue to have an L-shape. These windows 114 and 115 introduce the natural light from both of the south and the east sides. When a part of the windows 114 and 115 is opened, pleasant breeze passes through the bed room in the diagonal direction. In this way, the boundary between the outside and the inside is blurred, which gives the inside of the bed room a sense of continuity with transparency and translucency especially emphasized in the horizontal direction.

As exemplarily described in the plurality of embodiments, in a house including a room to which the present invention is applied, it is possible to create a comfortable space in which a person can feel a sense of peace as if he/she were in nature and can spend a time that passes by slowly. The space in the vicinity of a window having a large opening, which can introduce soft light and pleasant breeze into a room while keeping the strong summer sun out with long eaves, may be interpreted as a contemporarily arranged kind of intermediate space that is familiar in Japan since ancient times (for example, an “engawa”, a veranda-like wooden porch). In the semi-outdoor space largely extending outward from the window, one can spend a quality time with family while having a meal, can be absorbed in a book forgetting about time, or can fully enjoy oneself playing with a pet. Thus, it is possible to enrich the daily life, in most cases of which is busy and stressful.

The foregoing embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not limiting. The technical scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing embodiment. All modifications and changes, for example, in the shape or size of the rooms and/or the semi-outdoor space are intended to be embraced therein provided that such modifications and changes come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1A, 1B House

37 Living room (room)

38 Box-shaped structure

42, 43 Window

44, 45 Terrace (semi-outdoor space)

46 Exterior floor

47 Eaves ceiling

55 Master bed room (room)

61, 62 Window

66 Balcony (semi-outdoor space)

67 Exterior floor

68 Eaves ceiling

69 Waist-height wall

74 Living room (room)

86, 93 Window

87 Terrace (semi-outdoor space)

88 Exterior floor

89 Eaves ceiling

93 Window

103 Bed room (room)

114, 115 Window

116 Balcony (semi-outdoor space)

123 Exterior floor

124 Eaves ceiling

C Ceiling surface

E Eaves ceiling

F Floor surface

R Room

S Semi-outdoor space

T Exterior floor

W1 First window

W2 Second window 

1. A house comprising: a semi-outdoor space having an exterior floor and an eaves ceiling outside of a room; and windows via which an internal space of the room and the semi-outdoor space communicate with each other, wherein a first window and a second window capable of daylighting and ventilation are provided respectively in two wall surfaces facing each other of the room so as to straightly face each other and to each have an opening width accounting for ½ or more of a wall length of the corresponding one of the wall surfaces, the first window provided in one wall surface of the two wall surfaces has an opening that accounts for a whole ceiling height of the room, and at least one doorway capable of being opened and closed is provided in the opening, the second window provided in the other wall surface of the two wall surfaces is at least any one of the following: a floor-level window whose lower edge is at a same level as a floor surface of the room; a high window whose upper edge is at a same level as a ceiling surface of the room; a window whose opening accounts for the whole ceiling height of the room; and a window having a combined feature of the above kinds of windows, on an outside of the first window provided in the one wall surface, the exterior floor continuously provided at the same level as the floor surface of the room and the eaves ceiling continuously provided at the same level as the ceiling surface of the room are extended so as to spread across at least a whole opening width of the first window, an extension size of the exterior floor in a direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening of the first window is 0.8 times or more the ceiling height of the room, and an extension size of the eaves ceiling in the direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening of the first window is 0.6 times or more the ceiling height of the room.
 2. The house according to claim 1, wherein the one wall surface has the largest wall length in the room, and the first window provided in the one wall surface has the opening width not less than a facing distance between the one wall surface and the other wall surface.
 3. A house comprising: a semi-outdoor space having an exterior floor and an eaves ceiling outside of a room; and windows via which an internal space of the room and the semi-outdoor space communicate with each other, wherein a first window and a second window capable of daylighting and ventilation are provided respectively in two wall surfaces forming an external corner of the room so as to be continuously arranged having an L-shape in planar view and to each have an opening width accounting for ½ or more of a wall length of the corresponding one of the two wall surfaces, the first window provided in one wall surface of the two wall surfaces has an opening that accounts for a whole ceiling height of the room, and at least one doorway capable of being opened and closed is provided in the opening, the second window provided in the other wall surface of the two wall surfaces is at least any one of the following: a floor-level window whose lower edge is at a same level as a floor surface of the room; a high window whose upper edge is at a same level as a ceiling surface of the room; a window whose opening accounts for the whole ceiling height of the room; and a window having a combined feature of the above kinds of windows, on an outside of the first window provided in the one wall surface, the exterior floor continuously provided at the same level as the floor surface of the room and the eaves ceiling continuously provided at the same level as the ceiling surface of the room are extended so as to extend across at least a whole opening width of the first window, an extension size of the exterior floor in a direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening of the first window is 0.8 times or more the ceiling height of the room, and an extension size of the eaves ceiling in the direction orthogonally intersecting with the opening of the first window is 0.6 times or more the ceiling height of the room.
 4. The house according to claim 3, wherein the one wall surface has the largest wall length in the room, and the first window provided in the one wall surface has the opening width not less than the wall length of the other wall surface intersecting with the one wall surface.
 5. The house according to claim 1, wherein the exterior floor is provided on a second floor, and a waist-height wall having a ventilation capacity is erected in a vicinity of an outer peripheral edge of the exterior floor provided on the second floor, and the waist-height wall is constituted of a sight-proof louver extending in a lateral direction.
 6. The house according to claim 1, wherein the room and another room are arranged in a vertically stacking manner as two stories, the first window is provided in each of the room and the other room that are vertically arranged so as to have the opening that accounts for the whole ceiling height of the corresponding room, and the opening surface of each first window is arranged so as to have a same orientation.
 7. The house according to claim 6, wherein a box-shaped structure having a rectangle shape in planar view is provided at a middle part of a wall surface of each of the room and the other room that are vertically arranged, the wall surface in which neither the first window nor the second window is provided, and the box-shaped structure covers an inside and an outside of each of the room and the other room that are vertically arranged and penetrates the room and the other room in a vertical direction.
 8. The house according to claim 7, wherein load-bearing walls are provided on an outer periphery of the box-shaped structure in two directions orthogonally intersecting with each other. 